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UN council waiting for report on Iran's nuclear issue from ElBaradei
13/4/2006 10:32

Members of the UN Security Council are still waiting for the report on Iran's nuclear issue from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei, diplomats said yesterday.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton told reporters that ElBaradei is arriving in Tehran and the international community will see what happens in those discussions held between ElBaradei and Iranian authority.

"We expect report from him in 30 days," he said. "We want to see what his report says."

French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere echoed his U.S. counterpart's viewpoint, saying "when we have this report, we will react."

Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Wang Guangya, who is the current president of the UN Security Council, told reporters that "I hope the Iranians take note of the reaction (of the international community) and be more cooperative."

Wang said China is concerned with the events and the way things are developing, and appeals to all parties concerned to exercise restraint, to act constructively, and not to take actions that might further aggravate the situation.

He observed that diplomatic effort is still underway, and what actions the Council will take depends on the opinions of ElBaradei in his report at the end of this month.

Wang also stressed that military and other sanctions will not be helpful under the current situation.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed for all involved in the Iranian nuclear crisis to "cool down" their rhetoric and actively search for a diplomatic solution.

He told reporters at The Hague, Netherlands that "I hope they will be able to come back to the table and work with the international community to find a negotiated solution."

Iranian nuclear chief Gholam Reza Aghazadeh announced on Tuesday that Iran had successfully produced 3.5 percent enriched uranium. The success in producing low-grade enriched uranium would pave the way for Iran to start industrial-scale production, he said.

The Security Council unanimously adopted a presidential statement on March 29, calling on Iran to resume suspension of all uranium enrichment-related activities within 30 days.

The council also requested Elbaradei to deliver in 30 days a new report to the IAEA board of governors and the Security Council on Iran's compliance with IAEA demands, including the suspension of its enrichment activities.



Xinhua News